The Cap Faction

[Two Types]

Very nice Damian. Very nice indeed.

 

[dh66]

The back pleat looks really good on that cap Damian, as does the tweed fabric. Nice one.

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[Lotsahats]

Cap noob question: do some of you stuff the front of the cap to keep the form?

A

 

[dh66]

Cap noob question: do some of you stuff the front of the cap to keep the form?

A

All of mine have a lining which is sufficient.

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[Nyah]

The lining in mine is apparently not sufficient enough. What kind is needed for getting a good 3-D shape in front?

 

[DamianM]

Its all in the overall construction of the cap.
One other need is to block the cap and mold the wool into a shape you are happy with
The weight of the wool does have a great deal to do with retaining a desired shape as well.
If the wool is light you can always add an interlining to help keep the shape I.E light Canvas, Padding on the top.
It all has to do with cut, lining, and sometimes maker of the cap. They all used different methods.
The snap location has a good deal to do with the shape as well.

 

[seabass]

Damian,
man that's a nice cap ,,, vintage fabric ? has to be, nice stuff... good work !

I have a cashmere tweed cap with a grosgrain ribbon sweatband. The band is a little dirty and could use a washing. The cap is more than 25 years old, but in excellent shape except for the sweatband dirt. Should I wash it? I am thinking Woolite and cold water and a hand wash in the sink. Is that right? Is there some other technique? Should I just leave it alone?

jhe888,
I have "spot cleaned" some cap sweatbands that are grosgrain with your method ,
But I have had good results with a trusty dry cleaner to clean the entire cap...
warning, never dry clean a cap with a leather sweat band...
but you mention your cap is cashmere tweed so it would be worth dry cleaning

Note, Johnny J might be able to replace that sweat band with a leather & reblock the cap......

The lining in mine is apparently not sufficient enough. What kind is needed for getting a good 3-D shape in front?

Nyah, good advise given so far,
I can add that the use of Steam does wonders to reshape or restore a shape & works great on caps
that have been folded for decades in storage....or just need a good 3-D shape
a tea kettle low flame & distilled water is best for felts & vintage fabrics ,,, just don't saturate the cap too much & if there is a leather sweat band keep steam away from it... it takes practice & a small mixing bowl helps inside the cap...apply the steam to the exterior cap body
Don't Saturate,,go light on the steam..

edit
your original question,
do some of you stuff the front of the cap to keep the form?

yes for storage on my good caps I place rumpled flattened paper inside the crown & push in to the front peak
then store flat...helps a lot

 

[DamianM]

Damian,
man that's a nice cap ,,, vintage fabric ? has to be, nice stuff... good work !

Thanks SeaBass.

It is a vintage fabric with a great weave.

 

[TheDane]

a tea kettle low flame & distilled water is best for felts & vintage fabrics

When used directly on the felt or fabric, distilled water is the thing to use. As steam is "distilled water, not yet condensed", any kind of water will do ... but distilled water will reduce precipitation of calcium in the kettle.

If you heat the kettle over a gas stove, a small "funnel" of alu-foil on the spout can be a quite convenient. Flames may be a lot longer than they seem, and can reach out under the kettle and scorch the felt/fabric.

 

[Nyah]

Thanks all for the replies.

Damian, please check your PMs.

 

[Stuffsmith]

You know, Australia is perhaps the only developed country that does not have unlimited internet plans. If you go over a certain amount per month, you're throttled to sub-modem speed. So 4kbps download speed has made me a light contributor this past week! Plus, a weekend of kids' parties and rock climbing kept me away...

Lots happening here.

Damian, beautiful job on the pleated cap, bro!! Very professional, I'm impressed!

Che, I LOVE your Retro Sport inside and out! I especially love the way she embroidered the old Retro Sport logo in the lining, nice touch. Looks great on you. The brim is really strong, you're right. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one from her now that I've seen the detailing on yours!

On the subject of grosgrain ribbons in caps, I have to put my hand up that I prefer them to leather. Shocking, I know, but for a bald head, leather sticks and can be quite stubborn, whereas a ribbon band keeps supple and moveable on my pate. It's a good thing, too, 'cause I can't source leather sweats here in Oz for the caps I'm making, so my using grosgrain is a necessity as well as a choice! I have sourced some incredible 1920's moiré ribbon that looks spectacular and is quite strong.

 

[Zombie_61]

Cap noob question: do some of you stuff the front of the cap to keep the form?

A

I don't, but that's because I prefer the more relaxed look of the cap as the material drapes naturally. I'm not a fan of the "classic" look where the cap lays on your head like a big pancake.

 

[DAJE]

On the subject of grosgrain ribbons in caps, I have to put my hand up that I prefer them to leather. Shocking, I know, but for a bald head, leather sticks and can be quite stubborn, whereas a ribbon band keeps supple and moveable on my pate. It's a good thing, too, 'cause I can't source leather sweats here in Oz for the caps I'm making, so my using grosgrain is a necessity as well as a choice! I have sourced some incredible 1920's moiré ribbon that looks spectacular and is quite strong.

I fully agree with you about leather sweatbands. I've tried them and I much prefer cloth. I'm not bald, either. I have a high forehead, though, so there's plenty of skin for leather to stick to.

 

[Stuffsmith]

I'll amend my last comment- my favorite is a partial leather band - just along the front, keeping soiling to a minimum, but the rest of the cap can 'breath' on my head. So there.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

One of the reasons I like the leather is it gives the cap structure. Ribbon gives a looser fit and doesn't support the form on the cap.

 

[Johnny J]

One of the reasons I like the leather is it gives the cap structure. Ribbon gives a looser fit and doesn't support the form on the cap.

I feel the same. Also, the leather might get stuck on your forehead but that keeps your cap from moving around, and on a windy day your cap won't fly off.

 

[ManofKent]

New arrival. Irish Tweed from William Fox & Sons:

 

[dh66]

It's a real beauty. Great colors.

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[Stuffsmith]

Nice, MoK! Noggin shot, pleez?

 

[babygirl...]

Great caps here guys..So many different styles and such. Damian,good job on the cap bro!
I prefer cloth sweatbands for my caps, as I don't like the leather sticking to my forehead either..